The NHL trade deadline is one of the most anticipated days during the regular season. Each year, all 30 general managers have to work the phones to attempt to acquire assets–such as draft picks and prospects–or players who will be used as rentals for a deep playoff run depending on teams’ positioning in the standings.
Chicago Blackhawks’ general manager, Stan Bowman, opened up the trading market near the deadline on Thursday when he acquired Andrew Ladd from the Winnipeg Jets. The deal involved a first-round pick heading to the Jets, which seemed to gauge the market higher than originally projected.